H.C.R. No. 166
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, May 18, 2011, marked the 10th anniversary of the
untimely passing of John Austin Pena of Edinburg, and a new drug
treatment center being completed in Hidalgo County has been named
the John Austin Pena Memorial Center in honor of this beloved young
man; and
WHEREAS, We stand together in commemoration of John's life
with his loving family members: his father and stepmother, Aaron
Pena, Jr., and Monica Pena; his mother, Criselda Pena; his dear
siblings, Adrienne Pena-Garza, Aaron Leonel Pena, Alyssa Victoria
Pena, and Michael Anthony Pena; his beloved young daughter, Chelsea
Pena, and all his other relatives; and
WHEREAS, John Austin Pena was born at Park Place Hospital in
Houston on October 4, 1984; he was a bright, spirited, cheerful
young man who had many good friends; his broad spectrum of interests
ranged from sports--especially basketball, soccer, and
baseball--to skateboarding and playing laser tag with his pals and
playing video games with his younger brother "Mikey"; endowed with
a lively imagination and curiosity, he also enjoyed writing and
traveling; and
WHEREAS, On May 18, 2001, the limitless potential that was
embodied in the life of John Austin Pena was tragically brought to
an untimely end when he and two other young people attending a
social gathering were encouraged to ingest a substance, distributed
at the gathering, that later proved to be deadly to all three; his
death and absence caused considerable anguish among his friends and
relatives, particularly his parents and siblings; many were led to
channel their deep remorse by seeking solutions to the growing drug
epidemic among our youth, with particular attention to those living
along the Texas-Mexico border; and
WHEREAS, In June 2002, John's father, Aaron Pena, embarked on
a journey to examine how Texas was dealing with rising drug abuse;
he began visiting drug treatment centers across Texas to raise
awareness of the growing problem, and the endeavor culminated with
a visit to La Hacienda Drug Treatment Center in Hunt; in order to
bring attention to the lack of treatment facilities in Texas,
Representative Pena walked 125 miles from La Hacienda treatment
center to our state Capitol in Austin; as a result of that visit, he
made a promise to bring a drug treatment center to South Texas; and
WHEREAS, In 2004, to further this goal of drug abuse
awareness, the John Austin Pena Memorial Scholarship was
established in John's memory by the Texas Association of Addiction
Professionals; the scholarship is presented annually to a student
in recovery who is pursuing a college degree; and
WHEREAS, On May 18, 2007, through the diligent work of his
father, State Representative Aaron Pena, the Texas House of
Representatives gave budgetary approval for a drug treatment
facility in the Rio Grande Valley; on March 26, 2010, Hidalgo County
held a ground-breaking ceremony for the substance abuse treatment
facility located at 3341 E. Richardson Road in Edinburg; and
WHEREAS, On May 17, 2011, the Hidalgo County Commissioners
Court unanimously voted to not only memorialize the legacy of a
young life cut short, but also recognize the efforts of those
inspired by that tragedy to combat the evils of drug abuse, by
ordering that the Hidalgo County Substance Abuse Treatment Facility
be designated the John Austin Pena Memorial Center; and
WHEREAS, The new John Austin Pena Memorial Center, opening in
the fall of 2011, will provide substance abuse treatment services
to adolescents on an outpatient basis; although John Pena is deeply
missed by his loved ones, the scholarship and the drug treatment
center that bear his name increase awareness and offer hope of a
brighter future to young people struggling to move beyond
addiction; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the memory of John Austin Pena on the 10th
anniversary of his passing and commemorate the naming of the John
Austin Pena Memorial Center in his honor.
Guillen
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 166 was adopted by the House on May
25, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 166 was adopted by the Senate on May
27, 2011, by a viva-voce vote.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor